All-Time Snubbed by D-1 RB Club

[Carolina Speed]

Eric Breitenstein....Four-year letterman at 4AA, Watauga, H.S. in Boone, N.C. 5'10, 225, 4.49 forty

High School Career: 05', Soph: 1,108 yds. rush.

06', Junior: 2,619 yds. 377 att, named all-state as a defensive back, 5 ints.
N.C. player of the year runner-up.

07' Senior: 2,445 yds. 289 att.
N.C. Player of the year, N.C. all-state RB, played in N.C. Shrine Bowl.

In a second round play-off game rushed for 319 yds. and 6 TD's, Team was 4AA, W. N.C. Runner-Up.

4AA is the largest high school classification in N. Carolina!

Named a 2007 Carolina Panthers Community Captain, which recognizes outstanding student-athletes who excel on the field, in the classroom, and the community!
Was given this honor in 2007 prior to a Carolina Panther/Seattle Seahawk game in Panther Stadium

Currently: Plays FB for Wofford University, Spartanburg, S.C., Listed as a Junior after suffering a knee injury his sophomore year was granted a medical red-shirt.

2010: Played in all 13 games, leading Wofford to a share of the SoCon conference Title.

Set a single-season record for rushing: 1,639 yds. and 22 TD's. 2nd Team All-American by AP.

2011 Pre-season watch list for Walter Payton Award.

2011 Pre-seaon SoCon offensive player of the year.

This guy was referred to as a "sleeper", in the state of N. Carolina his senior year, with little interest from D-1 schools. "UNBELIEVABLE", is more like it!

This is a pretty good start! What does everyone else have? Remember it doesn't have to be RB's, I just like to see numbers and measureables as well as academic performance. And as we all know, aside from CB's, RB's are descreminated against; at more than any other position. It can be a recent HS grad who didn't even make it to college or someone from 10 years ago.

Thanks to all who participate!

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

Justin Beaver and Nile Knapp have got to be the two most talented backs to get snubbed IMO. I've never watched Cory McCaffrey, but all signs seem to point to him being an elite talent. He has the measureables and CRAZY GOOD production in H.S.

Beaver had the most rushing yards in a season for an NCAA RB across all divisions. He went buck wild on course to helping UW-Whitewater win the Division III championship. Video on Youtube.

Knapp led Georgia in rushing in H.S (as a senior?) (4.43 40, 3.9 short shuttle).

Cory McCaffrey has the all time Oregon H.S career rushing record and was a state champion in the 100 meters, 200 meters (and long jump if I'm not mistaken).

These three snubs are absolute crimes. Some land of "liberty" and "justice".

 

[DixieDestroyer]

Tommy Arnold, Sprayberry HS (Marietta, GA) class of 1962. He was chosen for the first team All-State (61). He was chosen on 4-AAA Region and Greater Atlanta Teams. He was selected Co-Captain of the Greater Atlanta Team because he scored 84 points, rushed for 1,048 yards, [and] caught passes for 259 yards. His rushing average was 10.7, and his [all-purpose yardage] was 1,995...12 rushing TDs & 2 receiving. In fairness, a knee injury hurt Tommy's chances for a D1 offer. He is still viewed as one of the best football players in Cobb County history.

P.S. - Fellow Sprayberry Yellowjacket RB Craig Elrod went on to play for UGA.

 

[Riddlewire]

Greatest snub of a productive player:

No football player currently in the NFL or college had a better high school career as a runningback than Zach Barket.
Zach's CF Thread
He got no D1A scholarship offers.


Greatest snub of a talented player:

There are two types of runningbacks. The kind whose ability makes them impossible to touch, and those whose ability makes them impossible to tackle. Nile Knapp was the former. Josh Smith was the latter
Josh's CF Thread
Knapp's elusiveness was otherworldly, but I think Smith would've been more successful as a college runningback.
Josh Smith's only offer was from a service academy. He is currently the best runningback on the Kansas Jayhawks roster, where he sits on the bench as a walk-on.

 

[Carolina Speed]

Thanks TJR, Dixie, and Riddlewire for those posts. I've enjoyed and yet saddened to read about these young men's rise and dissappointments in not getting D-1 offers.

 

[Wisdom]

Bo DeLande led the 2006 Davidson High School football team to an undefeated season and a Division 1 state championship in the state of Ohio. Division 1 is the classification of Ohio's largest schools, including perennial powerhouses St. Ignatius, Glenville, Mentor, Elder Colerain and St. Xavier just to name a few. DeLande was a powerful, Toby Gerhart-esque running back who no team could stop. What made DeLande's results so much more impressive, though, was the fact that Davidson didn't pass (as shown in the state championship game against Mentor). Everyone knew DeLande was the man. Everyone knew he was going to run. Still, nobody could stop him. His championship game performance was one of the greatest I've ever seen.

Now a senior after walking-on at The Ohio State University, DeLande will be a back-up to the likes of Herron, Berry, etc.

One can only wonder, "what if?"